The State System of Higher Education universities have each been left to develop and implement their own plans for the start of the academic year this month. For some, it’s gone better than it has for others.
An open letter signed by faculty, staff, students, and other interested parties is demanding changes to Kutztown University’s reopening plan, and threatens a call for a Vote of No Confidence in the school’s leadership team if changes are not made before August 24th. The letter is signed by about a thousand people.
The letter outlines fifteen specific points of concern, among them Kutztown’s plan to not institute health screenings or temperature checks for students, faculty, and staff; “no meaningful plan” for contact tracing, isolation, or campus notifications; a lack of PPE, physical distancing, and an acceptable plan to enforce the wearing of a face mask; and inadequate provisions for student access to online classes, particularly for students of color.
The letter, originating with Kutztown faculty, calls on school president Kenneth Hawkinson and his administration to move all classes online for the fall semester. Hawkinson said earlier this week that Kutztown is “not an online university.”
The letter says that if its demands are not met, the signers will ask the Kutztown chapter’s APSCUF Executive Council to formally acknowledge their vote of no confidence.
IUP last week announced a fall plan that essentially cuts the number of students who will be invited to on-campus classes this fall to about a third of the total student body, with an emphasis on freshmen being physically present.
IUP President Dr. Michael Driscoll will visit Indiana In the Morning on WCCS at 8:10 this morning.
HERE IS THE TEXT OF THE KUTZTOWN LETTER:
COVID-19 presents a direct threat to the health and well-being of the faculty, staff, students, and alumni of Kutztown University, as well as to the surrounding community. Despite this fact, as of this writing, the administration’s reopening plan includes the continuation of many face to face classes.
The pandemic clearly presents an unprecedented challenge to the Kutztown University administration. However, this context does not excuse its inadequate leadership and response, specifically from Dr. Kenneth Hawkinson, Dr. Anne Zayaitz, Dr. Warren Hilton, and Mr. Terry Brown, to meet and mitigate this threat.
Faculty have attempted to address their concerns through normal channels throughout this crisis. Faculty have cited state and federal health standards in their requests for COVID-19 mitigation and a safe return to class this year. For the most part, these efforts have been unsuccessful.
We, the undersigned faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members demand that Kutztown University administrators address the particulars listed below before the start of the Fall 2020 semester.
If the administration does not sufficiently and substantially address our concerns by the start of the semester, 24 August 2020, this document will become the basis for a call for a Vote of No Confidence in the KU leadership’s handling of the reopening amid the pandemic. Specifically, the undersigned faculty will petition APSCUF-KU’s Executive Council (the leadership of the faculty union) to conduct a vote of Representative Council, the policymaking body of our union, to acknowledge officially our lack of confidence in their leadership.
Bill of Particulars
1. Despite common practice throughout the country, Kutztown University has no plans to use health care questionnaires for faculty, staff, or students.
2. Despite CDC recommendations, Kutztown University has not provided temperature checks for faculty, staff, and students.
3. Kutztown University has no meaningful plans for contact tracing, isolation, or campus notification for students, faculty, or staff.
4. Although it has been adopted by many colleges and universities, Kutztown University does not provide COVID-19 testing for students.
5. Although in May 2020, the CDC recommended COVID-19 testing for workers in “congregate living settings,” Kutztown University will not provide COVID-19 testing for faculty or staff.
6. On July 1, 2020, the Pennsylvania Department of Health issued an Order Requiring Universal Face Coverings. However, Kutztown University does not provide faculty with the authority to enforce that order, instead relying upon a lengthy university disciplinary process that prevents a timely response to COVID-19.
7. To date, Kutztown University has not provided proper PPE to faculty, staff, and students.
8. The CDC recommends continuous cleaning of “high touch surfaces.” Given that Kutztown University has cut custodial positions in the past few years, local management expects students and faculty to clean without proper PPE and training, potentially increasing their exposure to COVID-19.
9. Kutztown University has not provided adequate information regarding building HVAC system COVID-19 mitigation. This is a particular concern given a long history of building air quality problems on campus.
10. Kutztown University is not following six-foot distancing standards in its classrooms as recommended by the CDC.
11. Kutztown University has not assessed or provided adequate academic resources for students unable to attend face-to-face or access and participate in online classes.
12. Although it is clear that COVID-19 places increased mental stress on students as well as people in general, Kutztown University has not increased funding for counseling services for returning students.
13. The KU administration’s plan further marginalizes students, faculty, and staff of color who may be disproportionately affected by COVID-19. According to the CDC, discrimination, healthcare access and utilization, occupation, education, income gaps, wealth gaps, and housing factors have resulted in communities of color being impacted more severely by the pandemic (See “CDC Health Equity Considerations and Racial and Ethnic Minority Groups”). A failure to adequately address health concerns in educational institutions like Kuztown University demonstrates particular disregard for people of color and their families due to a higher likelihood of living in multigenerational families (putting older family members at risk) and potential lack of access to and discrimination within healthcare settings. Further, students of color may be at increased risk for socioeconomic factors that may make it difficult to change over to digital formats at the last minute due to technology needs (including both access to laptops and WiFi). These factors make it particularly harmful to students of color to insist on face-to-face formats or to wait too long to make a decision to switch to digital. An earlier switch to a digital format will enable the university to better meet the needs of students prior to the start of the semester.
14. The main web page of the Disability Services Office of Kutztown University has no advice or guidelines for students with disabilities to address the difficulties they will face during the Fall 2020 semester.
15. Because of the wide range of serious concerns about campus safety, moving all classes online is the best option for the Fall 2020 semester.
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